"Ugg, I don't know how he stands this stuff." Rowan wrinkled his nose, grumbling as he stared at the shiny tin of pine butter. The shopkeeper's expression silently soured as he covered it in dark grey wrapping paper.

"It's always been his favorite. I don't think it's that bad." Hazel shrugged. The butter was thick, creamy, and infused with powdered pine needles, which gave it an earthy, if not dirt-like, flavor as well as a slightly unsettling green tinge.

Leo stared at it as well with a concerned expression. "I think I am with Rowan on this one."

Rowan's shoulders straightened, and Hazel swore his chest puffed out with the righteousness of his opinion being validated.

Hazel rolled her eyes, moving to another section of fresh produce, and picked out a flat of pickleberries. "What about these?"

Rowan stuck out his tongue, "I'll never understand where those two got their taste buds. I swear they're adopted."

"They don't look too terrible. At least they aren't green." Leo commented, eyeing the berries.

Rowan pointed at the berries as if they were horse dung left over on the street, "Trust me. Those things could curdle water."

Leo recoiled at Rowan's description. His face scrunched, and he tugged on the strap, holding a thick woolen patch over his missing ear.

"Wanna try one?" Hazel smiled as she held up the flat.

Leo hesitated, scanning the inviting-looking berries as if a monster was about to pop out.

"I think poisoning a peacekeeper is a crime," Rowan commented in a dry tone.

"If our eleven-year-old sister can handle them, so can a peacekeeper." Hazel challenged.

Leo met her eyes, studying her before looking down at the berries once again.

"Come on now, it's not that bad." Hazel smiled wider as Leo shot a look at Rowan, who gave him a warning glance.

Hazel flipped open the lid and popped one of the brightly colored berries in her mouth, tucking it in her cheek. Immediately, the sharp bite of vinegar mixed with cranberries filled her taste buds. She fought to keep her face neutral, hoping her eyes did not begin to water.

Leo watched on in clear surprise but also suspicion.

When Hazel's features remained unfazed, he reached forward and plucked several from the flat before setting them on his tongue and biting down. The look on his face went from hesitation to horror and alarm in nearly an instant.

"How are they Private?" Rowan tilted his head, crossing his arms. His tone dripping with the essence of I told you so.

She could barely contain the laughter as Leo continued to chew despite his clear, abject disgust.

"Different," Leo murmured as he gulped, his skin nearly turning green.

Hazel bent to spit out the berries in her mouth into the dirt at their feet, "The fermenting process really brings out the pickle flavor, you know."

Leo scoffed with a mouthful of partially chewed berries as he watched Hazel discard the uniquely flavored fruit to the earth. "You said they weren't that bad." He protested, bending forward to spit them out himself.

"Just think of it as District Seven initiation." Hazel wrapped an arm around her ribs as she laughed, relieved when the sensation no longer brought pain or discomfort and grateful that the crutches were nowhere in sight.

"You know it is actually illegal to harm a peacekeeper." Leo's eyes sparkled at her as he wiped the back of his hand over his lips.

Hazel eyed him with a smile, "Injured pride is hardly true harm."

"Tell that to my tastebuds." Leo searched around them, "I don't think they will ever be the same. Is there any water?"

"Are you guys going to buy those or just keep spitting out my produce?" The shopkeeper's smile had faded into a stern disapproval.

Hazel pulled out a thermos of water from her bag, handing it to Leo, "We'll pay." She picked up another flat of berries as well as several coins from her pocket. As she did, her fingers brushed against a thicker, more worn coin. She could almost feel the weary sickle and cornflower. She carried it with her most days; she wasn't sure why exactly. She tossed the payment onto the counter, along with a significant tip, which appeared to ease the shopkeeper's offense.

The man's eyes fell on Leo's sour countenance. "You get used to them, you know."

Leo's eyes were watering, and he merely nodded in response.

The shopkeeper seemed to take pity on him while studying him closer, "Say, have I seen you around here before?"

Rowan replied as Leo seemed to be still trying to remove the sensations from his tongue, "Probably following my sister around. He's part of her new security detail."

"Ahh, that must be it." The man murmured, tucking his tip away in his pocket. "Welcome to District Seven."

"Glad to be here." Leo choked out. Just as he was gurgling from the bottle of water, a familiar bulky figure shoved past, knocking him forward. Hazel held up an arm to steady him as Leo stiffened.

"Watch where you are going," Hazel called, releasing Leo and tucking the twin's gifts into her bag. Leo seemed to be rapidly sobering from his run-in with the berries as a ruddy lumberjack turned toward them. Holt.

Holt's dark eyes met Hazels and then Rowans, a flicker of arrogance flashing through. "Well, if it isn't my favorite former co-workers."

Rowan glared back, "What do you want?"

Holt shrugged, "Just came to buy some groceries. Is that a crime?"

"By all means, enjoy yourself," Hazel mumbled as they moved past him. "The pickleberries are extra ripe right now."

"Gross, even I know those things are like chewing on rotten mold." Holt's lips twisted as he eyed the many flats of berries.

"Can mold rot?" Hazel raised an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean? Those things are better thrown in the compost than ever placed on anyone's plate."

"Hey!" The shopkeeper's irritated shout called out to the group.

"Sorry, sir." Hazel held up her hands as they distanced themselves from the pickleberry stand. Unfortunately, Holt followed.

Leo responded as he gazed down at his sleeve; he looked tempted to wipe his tongue along the fabric, "They certainly...linger. I think your brother is right. Poisoning a peacekeeper via foul berries should be a crime."

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Hazel raised her eyebrows at him, a retort fresh on her tongue. But just as she was about to respond, Holt's eyes grew hard, matching his tone, "Do you know what is a crime?"

Hazel let out an aggravated sigh as Rowan grew stiffer at the shift.

"Your father increasing the quotas and reducing our days off."

"He's just following Capitol orders." Hazel pushed back. It was no secret in the District that the Hunger Games had set Oren "straight," and he had been diligent in his newfound compliance. Oren had been even more dedicated to his work over the last several months. And Hazel couldn't blame him. He was gone more and more, almost as if he was allergic to the quietness of home.

"Seems your whole family are just their puppets now, huh?"

A flash of anger sizzled instantly within Hazel's nerves, "If we are the puppets, then why is it you are the one who seems to have something up your-"

Her words died on her lips as Holt's wide form was in front of her in an instant. His face had grown even redder than usual. Hazel tensed immediately, and she reached for her belt. Her heart rate spiked as her fingers met nothing but the fabric of her pants. Her fingers slid over where her nonexistent axe should have been. Leo pushed forward in front of Hazel and Rowan, a hand poised over his gun. "Whoa. Back up, Sir."

Holt staggered back a step, "You know, I didn't buy the whole Victor in a white dress and golden rose in her hair routine, anyways. They can put you in some fancy outfit, but you'll always be District." Holt warned as he searched her from head to toe.

Hazel's eyes narrowed, and her fists clenched, but the brush of Leo's hand over her forearm as he reached behind him centered her. She breathed in several slow mouthfuls of autumn air. "Let's go." Leo commanded, "Enjoy your grocery shopping, Sir."

Holt's shoulders straightened, muttering as the three moved away at Leo's insistence, "I thought having a victor was supposed to make the district better."

Leo guided Hazel and Rowan away once they had moved down the frozen road. Once they were a decent distance and Holt seemed to become reinterested in shopping, Rowan whispered, "He's not completely wrong, you know. "

"I beg your absolute pardon?" Hazel eyed her brother.

"I mean, he's an asshole, but the increase in food and supplies only goes so far when the workload has doubled. And they have less time to actually enjoy any of it."

Rowan wasn't wrong. Neither was Holt, not completely. The District had more food now and more resources, but it came at a cost. And that cost was written in the lines on Oren's face and in the aching hands of every lumberjack.

The District had rejoiced at the train cars full of food and other necessities that had been delivered not long after she had returned home. Gifts they had been called, the spoils of victory. But within a few weeks, the increased demand for lumber had come. And Oren had not hesitated to comply, even harvesting in areas that had previously been protected and reducing breaks. A month later, the workers were advised they would no longer be allowed two days off, only one. The wave of gratefulness was soon replaced with resentment. And it didn't help that the foreman in charge sat comfortably in Victor's village with his family, sheltered from the newly laid out hardships.

"Oren doesn't have much of a choice." Hazel caught Leo's eyes for a moment before looking back to Rowan, her voice softening, "You know that."

Rowan's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. After a few minutes of walking in a cool silence, Rowan paused, "I've got to run a couple of errands before I head back. "

Hazel scrunched her brow, "What?"

He had a growth spirit over the last several months, and now he towered over her. In reality, he had grown up in more ways than one. "Want to pick up a couple of non-disgusting surprises for the twins. I won't be far behind you." Rowan placed a kiss on the top of her head, "Don't worry, sis. I won't be long."

He winked before he sprinted off down the road. Hazel's gut churned as she watched him disappear into town. She could feel Leo near her shoulder, "Have you told him?"

"Told him what?" Hazel sucked in a deep breath.

"You know..." Leo took in another large mouthful of water as they walked side by side.

"About me hallucinating his mother in the woods or the mystery cassette tape I was so generously gifted?"

"Either or both?"

Hazel shook her head, "Only you, Bellona, and Sable know. And the doctors, of course."

"You told the doctors about the tape?"

Hazel shook her head. "No, just seeing things in the woods." She wasn't due for another visit, but after her encounter, they had shown up three weeks prior to check on her mental status. Dr. Savi and Dr. Calyx had advised her that she had been hallucinating the whole thing. And that it was, more likely than not, a symptom of her time in the games. But deep down, she was still unsure if her reality and her nightmares were truly so splintered that they were overlapping. Dr. Savi had said that only time would tell.

As far as the cassette, she didn't dare even broach the subject of the tape with anyone but her peacekeepers. "For Your Eyes Only" really deterred her enthusiasm for sharing the existence of the item with anyone else. Her guards were sworn to keep her safe and follow official Capitol guidance, which most likely included the Senator. She figured they would keep the information to themselves.

She ran a hand through her hair, the thick bandage along her left palm caught in the strands. She had to pull a little harder to detach it.

Leo frowned. "That really should have healed by now." His voice dropped as they walked. The cold air bit Hazel's skin and her cheeks were so red that they matched her ears and hair.

"Ok, Mom." It was Leo's turn to roll his eyes as Hazel eyed him. An idea formed as she did. "I have one more stop I want to make before we go home."

Leo raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. She turned and moved back toward town as he followed diligently. The crunch of the crisp brown and orange leaves underfoot distracted her from her racing thoughts for a moment. Ice-coated wind picked up around them, and Hazel pulled her jacket tighter. Despite the coldness, the weight of the cassette felt searing in her pocket. It was as if it were glowing like an ember, and everyone could see it and knew it was in her possession.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the slightest shiver work its way through Leo, and he pulled his hat farther down, covering the silken skin along the one side of his head that was peeking out. Guilt twisted within her gut at the ravaged tissue.

"You probably wish I was from District Ten right about now, huh?"

Leo tilted his head, "The desert does sound really nice."

"If you can put up with all the sand." Hazel shivered from the thought more than the cold around her. "How many Districts have you been to?"

Leo's gaze dropped to his boots, "Trained in two. I did a few assignments in four, eleven, and ten before I was reassigned to the Capitol."

Hazel caught a tightening in his face at the word reassigned. "Why were you reassigned?"

"The commander at the time thought it would be a good experience for me."

"Percy," Hazel mumbled out the name as if it was more pungent than the pickleberries aftertaste.

More silence blanketed the two as Hazel guided them toward the heart of the town. More than a few times, Leo would nod to the other peacekeepers on patrol. Even more often, people would subtly point or stare at her and Leo as they walked casually through town. Despite having been home for nearly six months, people continued to watch her like some prized animal being paraded through the streets. Leo's presence eased the awkwardness while amplifying the division between her and her people. It was in these moments that she longed to be back in the woods, working a clearing, felling trees with her fellow loggers. But those days were most likely long behind her now.

"Which District was your favorite?" Hazel asked, hoping to distract herself from the people's gawking and her spiraling thoughts.

Leo's face lightened slightly, " I didn't care much for the smell of Ten. Four is gorgeous. Great food in Eleven." He glanced at her before returning his gaze to the people and buildings around them before meeting her eyes once again, "But Seven certainly has its virtues."

Hazel pulled her eyes from his as she did her best to ignore the fluttering in her chest at the genuineness of his features and tone. She sucked in a theatrical breath, "Yeah, that papermill smell really draws in the tourists."

Leo chuckled and nodded, "Who knew making paper could smell so awful." His easy smile softened as he continued to keep a watchful eye ahead of them, "You will have your chance to experience all of the different Districts soon enough."

Hazel sighed and chewed on her cheek. The tour. It was like a deep, dark shadow following her, slowly gaining on her no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. "I would rather have to return to the Hunger Games."

Leo frowned at her words.

"I don't even want to think about it." Hazel shook her head; really, she just wanted it all to be behind her forever. The coin in her pocket and the cassette reminded her instantly that it was far from over.

"Well, we will be with you." Leo's tone had deepened.

Hazel's lip twitched, but she couldn't bring herself to smile at his attempt to comfort her. His eyes had grown serious, and Hazel almost couldn't stand the pity she saw there. She shook her head, "Probably going to have to bust out that safeword more than a few times."

Leo grunted, turning his gaze back to the road before them, and ran a hand over his face, "I told you to stop calling it that."

"Hey, it was your idea." Hazel nudged him, and he stared up at the sky.

"So you seem intent on reminding me."

Hazel let the laughter at his bizarre reaction bubble up to the surface. She also looked up at the sky, "Well, I don't need it right now. I'm fully here."

"Good," He murmured.

"Sky is looking a little gray; kind of matches your eyes," Hazel said without thinking.

Leo's stare shot to her face for a moment before dropping back to the path.

"Usually means snow this time of year. Maybe we will get our first storm soon." She commented.

Leo tilted his head, and his face grew tight, "Where are we going anyway?"

Hazel's attention drifted from the darkening gray skies above to their destination, which was just within their sight. It was a junky-looking pine-coated shop with decrepit walls and murky windows. Within its rotting walls, it housed an array of random items, some of which looked to be ancient, others run down or in need of repair. Hazel tapped her fingers lightly against her pocket, "To find something to play this tape."